<i>IL28B</i> Polymorphism Associated with Spontaneous Clearance of Hepatitis C Infection in a Southern Brazilian HIV Type 1 Population

Abstract

About one-third of people infected with human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) are coinfected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) because of shared transmission routes. Studies report that HIV-1 complicates hepatitis C infection by increasing HCV viral load and reducing spontaneous clearance. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) upstream of the IL28B gene have been associated with spontaneous and treatment-induced clearance of HCV infection. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between the SNP rs12979860 of the IL28B gene and spontaneous clearance of HCV infection in a Brazilian HIV-1 population. The SNP was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by restriction digestion in 138 anti-HCV-positive patients. Spontaneous clearance was observed in 34 subjects (24.6%). Genotype distribution was significantly different between spontaneous clearance and HCV chronic patients. The CT/TT genotypes conferred a nearly 3-fold increased odds to chronic HCV infection relative to the CC genotype (odds ratio, 2.78; 95% confidence interval, 1.16-6.64; p=0.011). In conclusion, the rs12979860 polymorphism is associated with spontaneous clearance of HCV in HIV-1 Brazilian infected patients.